Praise for 'hero' shot during robbery

A commuter shot in the chest by robbers as he went to the aid of a female security guard was yesterday hailed as a hero by his shocked but proud father.

Adam Mapleson, 24, is said to be in a 'comfortable condition' in Southend General Hospital after the bungled heist at a train station at Rayleigh, Essex, on Friday.

In a statement released yesterday, his father, Mike Mapleson, said: 'Adam was on his way to London where he works in IT support on Friday morning when this terrible incident occurred. Knowing Adam as we do, although we were shocked to discover he had been shot, we were not surprised he received his injuries as a result of trying to protect another.

'Adam is a loving son and brother with many friends. He is a keen computer gamer who enjoys music and hill walking. I am pleased to be able to tell you that Adam has regained consciousness and I have been able to briefly talk to him today. He is beginning to recover from his ordeal and we hope he will be able to talk to British Transport Police in the next couple of days.'

The guard and her male colleague were mugged as they loaded money into a cash machine at Rayleigh station. The robbers are thought to have escaped with a box containing tens of thousands of pounds.

Mike paid tribute to Adam's have-a-go heroism: 'My son's actions were extremely brave. However I would urge anyone if they know who these men are not to approach them and inform police immediately.'

Detective Superintendent Michael Field, who is leading the investigation, also praised Adam's courage. 'He was heroic, there is no doubt about it,' he said. 'He went to the aid of a female guard who was being robbed. He put his life on the line.'

Field appealed for anyone with information about the incident to contact police. He said Loomis, the security company that was robbed, had offered a £25,000 reward for information leading to those responsible.